


The Best for Last

by hannahindie



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Bobby SInger - Freeform, Character Death, Dean Winchester - Freeform, Gen, Memories, Sam Winchester - Freeform, Supernatural - Freeform, spn fanfic, supernatural fanfiction - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-09-20 18:36:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17027871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hannahindie/pseuds/hannahindie
Summary: Bobby watches his last memory and has a hard time letting go of his boys.





	The Best for Last

He’d always known that his life would end this way, bloody and violent…although he’d pictured it more teeth and claws, less bullet. Hell, if he were honest with himself, he’s surprised his liver just didn’t give out first. Regardless, it was the end. He’d been fighting it tooth and nail, jumping from memory to memory in an effort to get Sam and Dean the information they needed to fight Dick Roman. He was tired, bone tired, and if it weren’t for the boys… _his_ boys…the end would have come much sooner.

He was in the last memory left, and he was glad that it was the last one. It was fairly new, but the closest he could think of what being a normal family would be like. He had always tried to give them some freedom when John had dropped them off; catch instead of shooting lessons, going to the movies instead of archery practice, library programs instead of lock picking (especially for Sam…Dean wasn’t much for sitting still, though he was smarter than most of the kids that were there). That particular night, though, was the first time in a long time that they’d had a chance to sit down and just be a family. 

The memory was bittersweet. Looking back on it, his heart ached as he thought about how much Karen would have loved a night in with their boys. How she’d bake a pie just for Dean, how she’d smack at Bobby when he called the arguing brothers idjits, but she’d do it with a smile because she’d be able to tell he said it with love.

Everything happens for a reason, even though Bobby hated it when anyone said that - to hell with reason - but without Karen’s death, he’d never been thrown into the life that introduced him to John and, in turn, to two of the most important people in his life. So the memory still made him feel torn; it reminded him of what _could_ have been but, at the same time, what may have never happened if even one thing had gone differently.

_“Alright, scoot jerkface. Show your elders some respect.”_

_Sam scrunched his nose as he glared at Dean, “You scoot, asshat.”_

_Dean dug through the plastic gas station bag and ignored his younger brother as his search became more desperate. “Did we get licorice?”_

_“No, we did not get licorice,” Sam scoffed, “we got good snacks. Licorice is disgusting.”_

_Dean’s head snapped up, his eyes narrowed, “I’m sorry, I didn’t quite understand that, uh, ‘Mr. Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich’.”_

_Sam turned to face him, and Bobby laughed at the bitch face he shot at Dean, “I stand by that sandwich. Nobody likes licorice. It’s…it’s made of dirt.”_

_“It is a classic movie food. It’s right up there with popcorn!”_

_Sam looked at Dean, his popcorn filled hand stopped halfway to his mouth, “Popcorn?”_

_“Yeah.”_

_“You’re out of your mind,” he said as he shoved the handful of popcorn into his mouth._

_“What, it’s like little chewy pieces of Heaven.” Sam grabbed another handful of popcorn and threw it at Dean._

_“And we both know what Heaven is like, soooo…” Sam took a swig of beer just as Dean jabbed him in the ribs with his elbow. Beer sprayed from his mouth and he began to cough as some of it tried to make its way out of his nose._

_“Oh…oh God, I’m sorry…” Dean’s not so sincere apology was cut off by his laughter, and Sam glared at him as he tried to wipe the beer dripping from his chin._

_“You’re a dick, you know that, right?”_

_Dean shrugged, “Yea, yea, I’ve been told. The movie is ready, let’s get this show on the road!”_

_Sam snagged the remote from Dean’s hand and hit play, then grabbed the popcorn and sat back into the couch, “What did you pick?….The Untouchables? Again?”_

_“It’s a freakin’ classic, Sammy! And what about Bobby, we can’t start without him. Heeyyyyy Bobby!”_

The memory started to fade, and their voices began to lower, as if someone had found the volume knob and was slowly turning it down.

“I ain’t ready…I can’t leave ‘em. I just can’t.” Bobby wasn’t one for begging, but the further they seemed to get from him, the more panic he felt.

”Bobby, you’ve helped. You got handed a small, unremarkable life, and you did something with it. Most men like you die of liver disease, watching Barney Miller reruns.”

He turned to see the reaper standing behind him, his head tilted and a sympathetic smile on his face. “I don’t care.”

The reaper sighed, “Why?”

“ **Because, as fate would have it, I adopted two boys. And they grew up great. They grew up heroes.** I ain’t ready to leave ‘em. They’re…they’re my boys.” Bobby looked back to see Sam laughing at something Dean said, and he felt a tear roll down his cheek. He knew John did all he could for them, that he thought he’d done his best, but Bobby…he’d become their dad. He felt like he was failing them by dying, and it just wasn’t something he could do quietly.

“Bobby, they’re going to understand. Dick Roman shot you in the head. In the _head_. Most people don’t come back from that.”

“I ain’t most people.” Sam and Dean were almost gone; in fact, everything was almost gone. Bobby was standing in almost total blackness, and he began to think no amount of pleading or begging or threatening was going to change his fate.

“I know you aren’t. Which is why I’m here. Most reapers would have given up on you by now, let you wander in the in between and made sure you became a vengeful spirit. But, Bobby, I can’t do that. Because you are part of the reason the Winchesters became who they are, and why they’ve been successful. You are a part of that history, and you deserve the chance to go where you’re supposed to be. You know what will happen if you stay behind. Don’t make them have to hunt you down, too.”

“I’ve got one more thing to do-”

“Bobby, I can’t wait. We have to go now.”

“I said, I’ve got one more thing to do. Then you can have me.” He looked back as the Winchesters disappeared into the void and smiled, “My boys.”


End file.
